With reference to FIG. 17, double-effect absorption chillers have a closed drum 3 provided in its interior with an eliminator 30, and an evaporator chamber 31 and an absorber chamber 32 which are arranged at opposite sides of the eliminator 30. An evaporator (not shown) is disposed in the evaporator chamber 31, and an absorber 50 in the absorber chamber 32. Connected to the bottom of the closed drum 3 is piping 62 extending to a high-temperature generator via a low-temperature heat exchanger and a high-temperature heat exchanger, with an absorbent pump 6 mounted on an intermediate portion of the piping 62.
The absorber 50 comprises an absorbent sprinkler 4 connected to one end of piping 61 extending from the low-temperature heat exchanger, and a cooling water piping system comprising a plurality of cooling water pipes 2 extending horizontally.
In the absorber 50, an absorbent (aqueous solution of lithium bromide) is scattered on the cooling water pipes 2 by the sprinkler 4 as indicated in broken lines. During falling, the absorbent absorbs a vapor of refrigerant produced by the evaporator, has its temperature raised by the heat of condensation and heat of mixing (heat of absorption) then generated, and is cooled with cooling water flowing through the pipes 2.
The absorbent scattered by the sprinkler 4 in the conventional absorber 50 first falls onto the outer peripheral surfaces of the cooling water pipes 2 at the uppermost stage, flows down the peripheral surfaces in the form of drops and thereafter falls onto the outer peripheral surfaces of the cooling water pipes 2 at the next lower stage. In this way, the absorbent is delivered in the form of drops to the pipes 2 from stage to stage downward. Accordingly, the absorbent not only falls at a relatively high speed under gravity but also fails to sufficiently spread over the outer peripheral surfaces of the pipes 2, and therefore has a small area for absorbing the refrigerant vapor and wets the pipe surfaces over small areas. The absorber consequently has the problem of being low in absorbing capacity due to insufficient absorption and heat exchange.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorber having a higher absorbing capacity than conventional absorbers.